An accomplished Taiwanese-Canadian musician, Ann Chen is a pianist, mezzo-soprano, and conductor. Ms. Chen is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Music at the University of Southern California.

Ms. Chen has performed with many choirs such as the LA Master Chorale, Vancouver Cantata Singers, Cor Flammae, Golden Bridge Singers, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival Choir, and has recorded for Cypress Choral Music. In Canada, Ms. Chen had taught in the Vancouver public schools as a choral specialist and served as Choirmaster of St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church. In L.A., Ms. Chen has been the interim conductor and section leader at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. Ms. Chen was the conductor of Apollo Chorus and University Chorus at the University of Southern California and is now the co-founder and artistic director of an a cappella octet, Exilio, an ensemble that features music by marginalized and underrepresented composers throughout history, as well as rising composers. 

In 2024, Ms. Chen was selected as the Spiral Chamber Ensemble Choral Conducting Fellow and one of the VOCES8 US Scholars. In 2025. she was invited back to record an album with VOCES8 in the UK.

Degrees: 

Master of Music in Choral Music, University of Southern California

Bachelor of Education, University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada)

Bachelor of Music, University of British Columbia

Sandy Wu has been teaching, accompanying, and performing piano for over 20 years. Ms. Wu received her Bachelor's and Master of Music in Piano Performance under Professor Francoise Régnat at California State University, Northridge.  Ms. Wu actively performs as a soloist as well as with various chamber music ensembles and as an accompanist for vocal and instrumental artists in the Greater Los Angeles area. A member of the Music Teacher’s Association of California (MTAC), Ms. Wu is also active in the community, where she accompanies the Arcadia High School Choir, Pasadena Middle School Choir, First United Methodist Church Youth Choir, and as a staff collaborative pianist for the prestigious Colburn School of Music as part of the Suzuki Cello Program.  

Some of her more recent performances include performing in The Splendor of the Great Wall with International Opera Artist Oscar Zhang and The Passion of Musical Arias at Cerritos Performing Center.  Ms. Wu was invited to Shanghai Normal University as accompanist for the CSUN Women’s Chorale.  She was also invited to the Kunming International Music Festival as a faculty pianist.  A winner of numerous honors, she is a recipient of the Pasadena Women’s Club Music Scholarship, CSUN Honor Recital Award, and was the winner of Pasadena City College’s Piano Concerto Competition, playing Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.  

Hi! I'm Takeya Teng and I'm the 25-26 Choir Council President! I'm currently a junior and this is my third year in choir and choir council. Outside of choir, I am a pole vaulter on the Arcadia High School Track and Field team who has hopes of making both CIF and the Arcadia Invitational this upcoming season! On top of performing and sports, I have a passion for learning. I'm in Quiz Bowl, Academic Decathlon, and Speech and Debate, but my favorite academic hobby is studying for the USA Biology Olympiad. I love exploring new places and although I've only been out of the country once, my dream is to one day visit them all. I'm very excited for everything planned for this year and I can't wait to meet everyone!

Hi, I’m Charlene Lei and I’m the 2025-2026 Choir Council Vice President. I am currently a junior and this is my 3rd year in choir and 2nd year on council. Outside of choir, I do strength training for fun as well as snowboarding. I am also involved in 2 Christian clubs as an officer. In my free time, I like to eat, drink matcha, and hang out with my friends. I also love traveling with my family during breaks and I have been to 20 countries. My dream is to be an orthodontist because I want to help people feel more confident about their smile which can help their overall confidence. I am also certified and trained in adult and pediatric CPR as well as Stop the Bleed. Hopefully there isn’t a point where I need to use those skills but they’re there just in case. I am stoked to meet you all soon and get to know you guys! See you when I see you :)

Hello! I am Emma Wang and I am the 25-26 Senior Section Leader! I will be a senior this year and it is my first year in choir council but going to be my fourth year in Chanteurs. I’ve been singing since 5th grade and music is something I want to pursue as something potentially more than a hobby. Some of my other passions include tennis and cooking delicious food. Some of my to-go dishes are Italian pasta and fried rice and other Chinese dishes, but I still have a lot to learn about cooking, tennis, and music. My goal is that we can improve our music skill as a choir and as musicians. I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow! Thanks for being a part of my last year at this school.

Hi, I’m Emily Alejandro and I am your 2025-2026 Choir Council Secretary. This is my first year of council and second year of choir. I’ve loved music ever since I was little. I used to perform at my local theatre’s musicals and be in a band but now I’m just working hard to become a better guitarist. Another thing I love is volleyball. I don’t know what I would do without volleyball. I played club for 3 years, but loved it ever since my dad taught me how to pass my first volleyball. Now with my academics, I hope I can get into a great business school. Therefore, I can one day open up my dream coffee shop. I am so thrilled for this year and I can’t wait to meet everyone!

Hello, I’m Elisa Gómez and I’m this years '25-'26 Choir Council Treasurer. I’m a junior and this is my 2nd year of being apart of Arcadia Choirs Chanteurs and my first year a part of Choir Council. I am an outgoing, sociable, and responsible person, ready to have fun with anyone yet can adapt to being a leader at any time. I enjoy listening to many different genres of music and will always put on a perfect playlist for whatever I'm feeling like to listen to. I am an avid movie and TV show watcher, my favorite fandoms include Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, Stranger Things, and Scream. My future aspirations include me studying to be in the medical field and to study abroad. Also having the chance to travel and visit as many places, including Italy, South Korea, and France. I hope to meet new faces and am excited for our plans ahead for this Choir school year!

Hi! My name is Eva Hernandez, and I’m honored to serve as the 2025–2026 Choir Council Director’s Assistant. I’m currently a senior, and this is my fourth year in choir but my first year on Choir Council. Outside of choir, I’m a dedicated athlete and a starting player on the Arcadia High School Water Polo team. I’m proud to say we’re aiming for our fourth Pacific League Championship this upcoming season! When I’m not performing or competing, I love to read, especially romance novels. I’m a romantic at heart, and one of my all-time favorites is Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy. Music has always been a way for me to step out of my head and into a creative space, and I’m so excited to be a part of shaping this year's choir experience. I can't wait to see what this year holds and to meet all the new faces joining us!

Hi I’m Allison Lai and I’m the 25-26 Choir Council Social Chair! I’m currently a sophomore and this is my second year in choir and first year in choir council. Outside of choir, I play volleyball for Arcadia High School and club volleyball at San Gabriel Elite. I am also a Girl Scout working towards earning my Gold Award,  the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. In this, I hope to promote animal adoptions and address issues, such as animal euthanasia and shelter overcrowding. Something unique about myself is that I live by an overlooked principle, “silence is better than unnecessary words.” I aim to say less but mean more. Meaningful and intentional communication means a lot to me. I’m so excited for all the socials planned for this upcoming year!

Hello, I’m Hadassah Taylor. I am the current PR Chair, and this is my third year serving in Council. In school, I enjoy studying History, which I hope will help me in pursuing a career in Law. I am also in Academic Decathlon, which I dedicate time to outside of school, along with taking music lessons, such as the erhu. Besides that, I add to my way-too-many digital stickers of a pink beaver called Zanmang Loopy in my camera roll, and wonder how it’s possible that my life draws parallels to pink beaver. But in all seriousness, I hope to get to know many people and create memories, serving with council to provide an unforgettable year!

Hi, I’m Britney Chau and I’m your 25-26 Choir council Chanteurs PR Officer! As a sophomore, this will be my second year in choir, and first year in council. Beyond choir, I play volleyball for Arcadia High School, as well as club volleyball for Arcadia Foothill VBC. I’m very passionate about traveling around the world, and I enjoy embracing myself into so many different cultures. The choir program has also helped take a role in my love for traveling, as we went around Europe performing last year. Even more, it’s always better with your friends! I’m ready to have fun, and I’m ready to capture these moments for all of us to remember. I’m so excited for everything this upcoming year will bring into the choir program!

Hello, I’m Symone Wu, your 25–26 Concert Choir PR Officer. Outside of choir, I’m active in Speech and Debate, serve as President of FIC, and have studied piano for 12 years. I’ve also played the flute and have been a dance captain for two consecutive years. I speak both Chinese and English and am currently learning Spanish. I love adventure; I’ve ridden horseback through mountains, ziplined at Xplor, the highest zipline in Mexico at approximately 147 feet above the ground, and even gone snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii. Traveling is one of my biggest passions, and I’ve been fortunate to visit some countries and places including Mexico, France, the UK, Japan, China, Indonesia, and Costa Rica. I’m looking forward to creating memorable experiences with everyone this year!

Hello! My name is Hiram Gu, and I’m the 25–26 Choir Council Photographer! I’m a freshman, and this is my first year in both choir and choir council. Outside of choir, I contribute to the Arcadia Quill as a freelance photographer and designer, and I plan to get involved with more clubs and organizations to expand my skills and interests. In my free time, I enjoy spending time in nature, whether that’s hiking, walking trails, or exploring new outdoor spaces. I also love cooking, baking, and drawing, but photography remains my favorite way to capture and observe the world around me. I look forward to all the fun activities planned out this year, and I hope you will join us at our shows!

Hi! I’m Mandy Zhao and I’m the 25–26 Choir Council Librarian. This is my third year in choir and my second year on council. Outside of choir, I’m pursuing a career in the medical field. This year, I’m taking rigorous STEM courses and planning to volunteer at the local hospital. A fun fact about me: this summer I went through a blueberry bagel phase where I ate one every single day for a whole month. They were so so delicious, but now my hyper fixation has shifted to bananas. Lately, all I seem to crave is a banana latte. So yes, I suppose you could say I’m absolutely bananas about this year. I can’t wait to meet you guys and build wonderful memories together! 

Hey there! My name is Nicole Hsueh; I’m a sophomore and this year’s Concert Choir Ambassador. I’ve been in choir for one year, and this is my first year on Choir Council. I'm not that involved in a lot of school activities and extracurriculars, but I do spend most of my time nurturing my personal hobbies and anything I deem interesting. At home, I spend time studying and teaching myself foreign language, music theory, graphic design, and 3D modeling. I’m also a retired artist who wants to get back into drawing again, both digital and traditional. But for enjoyment, I like playing my ukulele, losing myself to the world of video games, and folding origami. Speaking of folding origami, did you know the smallest origami crane I’ve ever folded by hand is only 0.4 centimeters long? Ask me for proof if you don’t believe me~! But anyway, although singing is not my strong suit, I still believe anyone and everyone can come together through this form of music. I look forward to the new people I’ll meet and new memories we’ll make this year!